Swine Flu Vaccine Taking Longer Tha... ( A fully tested shot may not be ready ...)

Swine Flu Vaccine Taking Longer Than Expected

Date:7/13/2009

A fully tested shot may not be ready until year's end, WHO says

MONDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- A fully tested swine flu vaccine may not be available until the end of the year, a vaccine expert at the World Health Organization said Monday.

But countries could use emergency measures to get the vaccines out faster if they decide they are needed, Marie-Paule Kieny, director of WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research, said during a news conference in London, the Associated Press reported.

The problem: The swine flu viruses being used to develop a vaccine are only producing about half as much "yield" to make vaccines as regular flu viruses. So the WHO has asked its network of laboratories to produce a new set of viruses as soon as possible. Before countries can start any large-scale swine flu vaccination campaigns, the vaccines need to be vetted by regulatory authorities for safety issues, the AP reported.

The good news is that the H1N1 swine flu virus is still producing relatively mild cases of infection and most patients recover quickly.

Still, U.S. health officials are very aware that a swine flu vaccination campaign in 1976 was abruptly stopped after hundreds of people reported developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralyzing disorder.

Also Monday, U.S. researchers reported that the H1N1 swine flu virus causes more lung damage than a seasonal flu strain -- at least in some animals. But the virus is still susceptible to antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu.

Reporting in this week's issue of the journal Nature, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientiss Yoshihiro Kawaoka and colleagues took virus samples from patients infected with the H1N1 swine flu and examined their impact on different types of animals. In mice, ferrets and monkeys, infection with the new H1N1 swine flu virus triggered more severe lung disease than a seasonal H1N1 strain.

That may explain why
'/>"/>

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Related medicine news :

1. Swine flu monitoring needed for farm workers, study says
2. eFoodSafety Enters Research Agreement with University of Minnesota to Test New Food-Grade Antiviral for Swine Influenza Virus
3. Swine Flu Cases Now Total 7: CDC
4. At Least 16 Dead, Hundreds Ill in Swine Flu Outbreak in Mexico
5. At Least 20 Dead, Hundreds Ill in Swine Flu Outbreak in Mexico
6. International SOS Releases Web Site to Educate Public About Swine Flu Outbreak
7. WHO Warns of Possible Pandemic as Mexico Seeks to Contain Swine Flu
8. U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency in Response to Swine Flu
9. Obama Says Swine Flu Outbreak No Cause for Alarm
10. Pennsylvania Working Closely With Federal Partners to Contain Impact of Swine Flu
11. Swine Flu: Infection Control in Hospitals Will Be Critical

Post Your Comments:

Swine Flu Vaccine Taking Longer Tha...( A fully tested shot may not be ready ...),Health